A&S in the News: October 8-14, 2017

Mass Immigration

In the age of President Donald Trump, there are a few propositions that unite the establishment and progressive wings of the Democratic Party. One of them is that lots of immigration — legal and illegal — is good for America … Hispanics think abortion should be against the law. And, as The University of Alabama political scientist George Hawley notes, there is scant evidence that Latinos consider abortion policy to be a key factor in their voting preferences.Daily Caller – Oct. 8

Miss Alabama

Jessica Procter, the 2017 Miss Alabama and a finalist in the Miss America pageant, will be the guest speaker Oct. 19 at Alberta Baptist Church. Procter’s appearance is part of the church’s Golden Hearts Senior Adult luncheon … Procter, 21, is a native of Tuscaloosa and graduated from Northridge High School. She is currently studying music and communications at The University of Alabama.

Homecoming Week

The theme this year for homecoming at The University of Alabama is “Sweet Home Capstone.” Alabama will play the University of Arkansas on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will kick off at 6:15 p.m. The week leading up to the game will include athletic competitions, service activities, food drives, lawn and storefront decorations, talent shows and the annual parade and bonfire.WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 8WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 9WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 10CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Oct. 13WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 13WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Oct. 14

Homecoming Queen

University of Alabama students will vote this week to elect the 2017 homecoming queen. The court will be presented and the queen crowned at halftime of Saturday’s football game against the University of Arkansas at Bryant-Denny Stadium.CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Oct. 12Al.com – Oct. 13

Queens Without A Crown

Only one woman on campus will be crowned Homecoming queen, but Maggie Holmes wants to help ensure that senior women across campus are recognized for their hard work, whether or not they were nominated for a crown. That’s why Holmes, a senior majoring in biology and Spanish, has been running the Instagram account Queens Without A Crown since Oct. 3. There, she asks students to nominate senior women at The University of Alabama who they feel should be recognized for their work on campus.

Mass Shootings

I was barely out of my internship and working for ABC News out of Los Angeles when I got the assignment to fly to Austin, Texas, to help cover what became known as “The University of Texas Tower Shooting.” … Is it any wonder that we lead the world in this most horrible of statistics? We have arguably, more freedom, status and resources than any other nation. And when it comes to mass shootings, Adam Lankford, an associate professor of criminal justice at The University of Alabama says: “It’s harder to quantify it, but I’ve been struck by research that shows that being famous is one of this generation’s most important goals.”

Pamplin Historical Park

Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier is hosting their annual symposium on Oct. 20-22, 2017 and will be featured on C-SPAN’s American History TV…The featured speakers are: Steve Engle of Florida Atlantic University, A. Wilson Greene, formerly of Pamplin Historical Park & The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, John Hennessey of Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, Sam Hood from Huntington, West Virginia, Brian Jordan of Sam Houston State University, George C. Rable of The University of Alabama, Craig Symonds of the United States Naval Academy.

ALLELE

The University of Alabama’s ALLELE seminar series continues with its second lecture of the academic year. The series, which is hosted by a committee at the University called the Evolution Working Group, focuses on educational lectures on evolution that are made available to the public.

Religious Liberty

Students packed into a ten Hoor lecture hall Monday night to hear former senator and former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum discuss the future of religious liberty in the United States.

Roy Moore

Former Alabama judge Roy Moore, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, once said publicly that he did not take a “regular salary” from the small charity he founded to promote Christian values because he did not want to be a financial burden … “It was a platform for Roy Moore to advance himself on any possible front, whether it was political or oratorical,” said William Stewart, a professor emeritus of political science at The University of Alabama and a longtime observer of Moore’s career.MSN.com – Oct. 11Herald Net (Everett, Washington) – Oct. 11Baltimore Sun – Oct. 11San Diego Union-Tribune – Oct. 11Orlando Sentinel – Oct. 11Star-Tribune (Minnesota) – Oct. 11San Jose Mercury News – Oct. 11Philadelphia Inquirer – Oct. 11Albuquerque Journal – Oct. 11

Comb Jellies

A researcher at The University of Alabama was part of a new study that provides further evidence in support of a controversial hypothesis that a group of marine animals commonly called comb jellies were the first to break away from all other animals, making it the oldest surviving animal lineage … Dr. Kevin M. Kocot, UA assistant professor in biological sciences and curator of invertebrate zoology in the Alabama Museum of Natural History, is a co-author on a paper published in Nature Ecology & Evolution that outlines the findings.

Dance Concert

Alabama State University’s theater department and The University of Alabama’s dance program are coming together to put on a fall concert this weekend. It’s happening tonight and tomorrow tonight at seven, at Leila Barlow Theater. The concert will celebrate Alabama’s 200th anniversary as a state.

Big Business

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is joining other powerhouse campaign contributors and pro-business interest groups in backing out of the U.S. Senate race in Alabama … William Stewart, a professor emeritus of political sciences at The University of Alabama, said he’s been surprised not to see the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council of Alabama taking a more active role in getting more electable candidates who back their positions.